There are known and commercially available to the practicing chiropractor and other health care professionals and practitioners numerous types of tables to assist the practitioner in conducting examinations, adjustments and treatments beneficial to the patient. Most tables are designed so that they can be raised and lowered to a position comfortable for the practitioner to treat the patient. In addition, some tables can be tilted from a horizontal position to a near vertical position to make it easier for the patient to be positioned on the table. In such tables, there is typically provided a plate for the patient to stand on facing the table when the table is in a tilted position. This plate is commonly called the “footplate” and is not be confused with the ankle rest sometimes called a footrest. With the table in a somewhat vertical position and using the footplate, the patient can then comfortably grasp the table, whether lying facedown, face up or on either side, after which the practitioner rotates the table to a horizontal position and raises it to a desired level. Prior art tables that utilize a footplate either left the footplate in place when the table is tilted and elevated, or, if the footplate is attached to the upper part of the table, the footplate moves upwardly as the table is tilted and elevated. In the latter situation, the footplate may interfere with the treatment being provided to the patient. Also, in tables that are currently known, tilting of the table and then elevating it requires the health professional to first tilt the table and then elevate it to the desired height. This requires additional components and may add to the cost of the table. Also, additional components take up space so that the height to which the table can be lowered is limited. In certain procedures, it is desirable to have the table as low as possible, particularly if the practitioner is a short person.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved chiropractic table in which the table will automatically elevate to a desired position simultaneously with the tilting of the table thus making it easier and quicker for the health care professional to position the table to the desired height. When tilting the table is not a part of the horizontal moving mechanism, this allows the table to reach a greater range of elevation positions than otherwise available.
It is further the objection of the invention to provide an improved chiropractic table in which the footplate will automatically be rotated out of the way when the table is elevated in horizontal positions while automatically returning to the proper position for the patient to easily step off of the table.